FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 23, 2014
CONTACT: RFD-TV Public Relations, PR@rfdtv.com or 406-396-7316
RFD-TV’S THE AMERICAN SEMIFINALS PAYS OUT BIG MONEY TO CONTESTANTS, WHO NOW HAVE A SHOT AT TWO MILLION DOLLARS
Qualifying Contestants and Exemption Match-ups advance to THE AMERICAN to Compete in the Richest one-day Rodeo plus Gentle Giant Draft Horse Winners were awarded $100,000 in Mesquite, Texas.
MESQUITE, TX – This weekend there were heartbreaks and triumphs as athletes young and old competed to move on to the richest one-day rodeo, THE AMERICAN at AT&T Stadium on March 2. The top-five Semifinal winners from Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc, Steer Wrestling, Tie-Down Roping and top-five teams in Team Roping along with the top ten Barrel Racers and one Bull Riding qualifier advanced. Rodeo Contestants were awarded nearly $300,000 in payout at the Semifinals and the Gentle Giant $100,000 Invitational Draft Horse Show paid three places.
All contestants on March 2 are aiming to win the $100,000 first place paycheck along with a prize package totaling more than $27,000 (custom Cactus trophy saddle, Polaris RANGER, Bohlin Buckle and a Browning Gun). In addition, qualifiers and exemptions compete for a million dollar side pot.
“RFD-TV is committed to paying out two million dollars to the contestants. If a qualifier does not win their event, the top event winner will receive $225,000.” said Randy Bernard, President and CEO of Rural Media Group.
Tie-Down Roping/Team Roping Exemptions
Tie-Down Roping and Team Roping exemption match-ups resulted in 38 gold buckles advancing to THE AMERICAN. Fans influenced the decision to qualify all the Semifinals match-ups to AT&T Stadium.
- Tie-Down Roping exemptions:
- Eight-time world champion Fred Whitfield
- Eight-time world champion Joe Beaver
- Team Roping exemptions:
- Eight-time world champion Speed Williams (Shay Carroll)
- Seven-time world champion Jake Barnes (Junior Nogueira)
- Seven-time world champion Clay O’Brien Cooper (Chad Masters)
Semifinals Overall Payout
Bareback Riding (Top 5 advance)
1st Richmond Champion, $3,800
2nd Tyler Nelson, $2,850
3rd Casey Breuer, $1,900
4th RC Landingham, $950
5th Caine Riddle
Steer Wrestling (Top 5 advance)
1st Nick Guy, $8,216.25
2nd Wyatt Smith, $7,433.76
3rd Tyler Pearson, $6,944.69
4th Dru Melvin, $5,868.76
5th Tyler Waguespack, $3,325.63
Other money winners include:
Sean Santucci, $1,760.63
Daniel Adams, $1,467.11
Matt Deskovick, $1,173.75
Kyle Whitaker, $1,173.75
Dirk Tavenner, $880.31
Chancey Larson, $880.31
Team Roping (Top 5 teams advance)
1st Joel Bach and Tommy Zuniga, $31,680
2nd Cale Markham and Buddy Hawkins, $15,840
3rd Colby Schneeman and Seth Smithson, $12,540
4th Logan Olson and Jordan Olson, $12,320
5th Justin Davis and BJ Dugger, $12,540
Other money winners include:
Kory Bramwell and Cole Jackson, $5,280
Tyler Wade and Dustin Davis, $5,280
Chad Masters and Kory Koontz, $4,180
Coleman Proctor and Jet Hillman, $4,180
Paul Tierney and Bobby Harris, $3,080
David Motes and Dean Tuftin, $1,540
Logan Olson and Matt Kasner, $1,540
Saddle Bronc Riding (Top 5 advance)
1st Erik Wolford, $3,500
2nd Jesse Kruse, $2,625
3rd Rusty Wright, $1,750
4th Cody DeMoss, $875
5th Tyrel Larsen
Tie-Down Roping (Top 5 advance)
1st Randall Carlisle, $12,690
2nd Cory Solomon, $10,575
3rd Justin Maass, $9,517.50
4th Blane Cox, $6,345
5th Marcus Allen Costa, $4,230
Other money winners include:
Marshal Leonard, $3,172
Cooper Martin, $2,643.75
Marty Yates, $2,115
Ace Sloan, $1,586.25
Barrel Racing (Top 10 advance)
1st Erin Ricotti, $14,730
2nd Katelyn McLeod, $15,343.75
3rd Robyn Herring, $13,502.50
4th June Holeman, $7,365
5th Gretchen Benbenek, $6,751.25
6th Clint Sherlin
7th Tami Semas
8th Shelly Anzick
9th Kenna Squires
10th Kay Blandford
Other money winners include:
Tammy Fischer, $2,455
Shelly Anzick, $1,227.50
Bull Riding (Top qualifier advance)
Clayton Baethge, $3,850.00
Other money winners included:
ScottieKnapp, $2,200
Ty Pozzobon, $2,200
Joseph McConnel, $1,100
Bonner Bolton, $660
Douglas Duncan, $440
ChaseOutlaw, $330
Marcus Mariluch, $220
Gentle Giants $100,000 Invitational Draft Horse Show
The Gentle Giants Invitational Draft Horse Show awarded three prizes valued at $100,000. The best six-hitch teams from across the country competed for the richest payout of its kind in hitch history. The Grey Percheron Hitch of Ames Construction (Jordan, MN) placed first for $60,000, Shining Stars Percherons (Pleasant Hill, IA) hitch placed second for $25,000 and Wilderness Ridge (Sagola, MI) placed third for $15,000.
THE AMERICAN will take place on March 2, 2014, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. With a $2 million payout, it will be the richest one-day rodeo in history. Of the qualifiers, the Top-five winners in each rodeo event at the semifinals will advance to compete in THE AMERICAN against the Top-10 in the World Standings and the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals.
Tickets for RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN, presented by Polaris RANGER, and the Iron Cowboy V are on sale at the AT&T Stadium Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations and at americanrodeo.com. Prices for each event range from $20 to $150, not including taxes.
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Notes to Editors:
About RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN Presented by Polaris RANGER: Taking place at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium on March 2, 2014, with an estimated attendance of 75,000, RFD-TV’s THE AMERICAN Presented by Polaris RANGER is the single largest 1-day cash prize event in the entire history of rodeo. With $2-million on the line, the best athletes in the world will be gathering in Dallas to compete in one epic day of raw rodeo will, skill and power. THE AMERICAN is inviting the top 10 athletes in each of the traditional rodeo sports as well as the top 10 from the PBR. The top 10 bull riding contestants will be invited after the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas, and the remainder of the primary rodeo sports contenders, will be determined after the top ten in the world standings are named. In addition to the 10 invites, THE AMERICAN will make five additional spots available for any rodeo athlete in the world through five regional qualifiers. If one of those athletes goes on to win their respective event at THE AMERICAN they will split an additional bonus pool of $1-million dollars in prize money. With the help of broadcast partners and sponsors, RFD-TV will be broadcasting the event LIVE on the day, helping to bring the totality of this defining western sports experience to a wide national audience. For more information, please visit: www.americanrodeo.com and www.RFDTV.com. Follow us on Twitter @RFDTVAMERICAN and on find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/RFDTVTheAMERICAN.
About Rural Media Group, Inc. (RMG): Rural Media Group, Inc. is the world’s leading provider of multimedia content dedicated to the rural and western lifestyle. RMG is the parent company of RFD-TV, FamilyNet, RURAL TV, RURAL RADIO on SiriusXM channel 80, RFD-TV the Magazine and RFD-TV the Theatre. RFD-TV, the flagship network for RMG, launched in December 2000. RFD-TV is the nation’s first 24-hour television network dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural America with programming focused on agriculture, equine and the rural lifestyle, along with traditional country music and entertainment. RMG acquired FamilyNet, America’s trusted entertainment network dedicated to providing wholesome and responsible viewing choices for today’s diverse family. RURAL TV produces rural business news covering commodity markets for both cash and futures. Daily productions include Market Day Report and the Rural Evening News. RMG networks are distributed into more than 63-million homes worldwide by DBS, telco and cable systems including DISH Network, DIRECTV®, Comcast, Verizon FiOS TV, AT&T U-Verse, Mediacom, Charter, Optimum, Brighthouse, Suddenlink, Time Warner, Cox, and more than 600 independent rural cable systems. RFD-TV The Magazine is the print programming guide for the networks, which has attracted over 180,000 paid subscribers. RFD-TV The Theatre is a 2000 capacity soft seat venue in Branson, MO where entertainment programming is produced. Corporate headquarters are in Omaha, NE, and production operations are in Nashville, TN. For more information, visit www.rfdtv.com, www.myruraltv.com, and www.familynet.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @OfficialRFDTV @RURALTV @FamilyNet @RURALRADIO80.